Algeria's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, right, and Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Al Mangoush, centre, attend a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries in Algiers, Algeria. EPA
Algeria's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, right, and Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Al Mangoush, centre, attend a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries in Algiers, Algeria. EPA
Algeria's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, right, and Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Al Mangoush, centre, attend a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries in Algiers, Algeria. EPA
Algeria's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, right, and Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Al Mangoush, centre, attend a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries in Algiers, Algeria. EPA

Libya's neighbours urge countries to send mercenaries home


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Countries neighbouring Libya wrapped up a meeting Tuesday in Algeria with calls for foreign fighters and mercenaries to be withdrawn from the conflict-stricken North African nation.

“So far, we don't know where these illegal forces present in Libya will go. The most reasonable thing would be for those who brought these people into Libya to send them back out of Libya, to the places they came from," Algeria's Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra said.

"This is the way for us [Algeria] and the neighbouring countries to avoid also become victims of an unorganised and unsupervised withdrawal of those groups."

Participants at the two-day meeting also urged Libyan parties to stick to a political road map that ended hostilities last year and set parliamentary and presidential elections in December.

The meeting, hosted by Algeria, was attended by foreign ministers of Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad and Niger.

The UN envoy for Libya, Jan Kubis, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and a representative of the African Union also attended.

Mr Kubis said time was running short to prepare for the polls, after recent talks in Geneva exposed deep divisions over when to hold elections, what elections to hold, and on what constitutional grounds.

Following the session, Libya's Foreign Minister Najla El Mangoush said many points were discussed, including “the stability of the neighbouring countries, all the neighbouring countries are ready to support Libya towards its stability.”

She added that another meeting will take place at the end of next month, where the same participants are expected to attend.

Meanwhile, Ms El Mangoush on Tuesday refused to exclude the possibility that general elections set for December may have to be postponed if parliament delays the ratification of a new electoral law.

“As a government, we have put in place everything required to move towards elections, providing financial, logistical and material support to the elections commission,” she said in a news conference in Algiers, after meeting with Algerian officials.

Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Al Mangoush speaks during a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries in Algiers, Algeria.
Libya's Foreign Minister Najla Al Mangoush speaks during a ministerial meeting of Libya's neighbouring countries in Algiers, Algeria.

“I cannot answer whether the elections will be postponed or not, but we are trying to ensure they will be held on the scheduled date” of December 24.

But “we are still waiting to see if parliament will approve the electoral law … this could block or postpone the election,” Ms El Mangoush added.

Libya has been wracked by chaos since a Nato-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011 and split the country between a UN-supported government in the capital, Tripoli, and rival authorities loyal to commander Khalifa Hifter in the east.

UN-sponsored peace talks brought about a ceasefire and installed an interim government that's expected to lead the country into a general election in December.


The details

Heard It in a Past Life

Maggie Rogers

(Capital Records)

3/5

MATCH INFO

Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)

Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm

The specs: Fenyr SuperSport

Price, base: Dh5.1 million

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six

Transmission: Seven-speed automatic

Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm

Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Classification of skills

A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation. 

A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.

The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000. 

Mobile phone packages comparison
Results

4.30pm Jebel Jais – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (Turf) 1,000m; Winner: MM Al Balqaa, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Qaiss Aboud (trainer)

5pm: Jabel Faya – Maiden (PA) Dh60,000 (T) 1,000m; Winner: AF Rasam, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

5.30pm: Al Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel

6pm: The President’s Cup Prep – Conditions (PA) Dh100,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Mujeeb, Richard Mullen, Salem Al Ketbi

6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Equestrian Club – Prestige (PA) Dh125,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Jawal Al Reef, Antonio Fresu, Abubakar Daud

7pm: Al Ruwais – Group 3 (PA) Dh300,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Ashton Tourettes, Pat Dobbs, Ibrahim Aseel

7.30pm: Jebel Hafeet – Maiden (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Nibraas, Richard Mullen, Nicholas Bachalard

THE BIO

Favourite author - Paulo Coelho 

Favourite holiday destination - Cuba 

New York Times or Jordan Times? NYT is a school and JT was my practice field

Role model - My Grandfather 

Dream interviewee - Che Guevara

Emergency

Director: Kangana Ranaut

Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry 

Rating: 2/5

Cricket World Cup League Two

Teams

Oman, UAE, Namibia

Al Amerat, Muscat

 

Results

Oman beat UAE by five wickets

UAE beat Namibia by eight runs

Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs

UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets

 

Fixtures

Saturday January 11 - UAE v Oman

Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Russia's Muslim Heartlands

Dominic Rubin, Oxford

RACE CARD

6.30pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,600m

7.05pm: Meydan Sprint – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (Turf) 1,000m

7.40pm: Curlin Stakes – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (D) 2,200m

8.15pm: UAE Oaks – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,900m

8.50pm: Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,600m

9.25pm: Balanchine – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m

10pm: Al Shindagha Sprint – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,200m

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

MATCH INFO

Bangla Tigers 108-5 (10 ovs)

Ingram 37, Rossouw 26, Pretorius 2-10

Deccan Gladiators 109-4 (9.5 ovs)

Watson 41, Devcich 27, Wiese 2-15

Gladiators win by six wickets

'Nightmare Alley'

Director:Guillermo del Toro

Stars:Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara

Rating: 3/5

Updated: September 01, 2021, 8:49 AM